According to the Organization United for Respect at Walmart, 1,000 protests occurred at Walmart stores across 46 states, with hundreds of workers walking off the job in an unprecedented decentralized, open-source strike at the retail giant. Nine people, including three Walmart workers, were arrested in Los Angeles for blocking traffic. Local Occupy groups supported actions in dozens of cities. OWS joined with 99 Pickets, ALIGN, the Retail Action Project, and others to show solidarity to Walmart workers in Secaucus, New Jersey. Despite attempts by Walmart's propaganda department to downplay the events, the latest massive wave of strikes and solidarity actions at Walmart forced even the corporate media to pay attention, and put the 1% on notice: When we work together, another world is possible. We do not have to accept poverty, low wages, or unfair working conditions with no benefits while six members of the Walton family are worth more than the bottom 42% of American families combined.

However, the struggle is far from over! Today's inspiring actions point the way forward. Please continue to support OUR Walmart and all low-wage workers in the struggle for economic justice and show support for the courageous workers and unemployed people on the frontlines against income inequality.

38 Comments

How can Americans possibly claim to have liberty if they aren't allowed to advocate for decent wages and workers' rights?

Bravo to the workers who stood up. Hopefully, this is the beginning of a wave of employee empowerment all across the country, in all industries.

"The group, OUR Walmart, said there were protests at 1,000 stores in 46 states, ranging from a couple of community supporters’ asking to talk with store managers about raising wages to raucous demonstrations in the Los Angeles, New York and Washington areas that each attracted hundreds of people." - NY Times

Sir, I do not mean to hurt you. But please note that we all are going through very difficult times. Hence our observation and judgement do falter sometimes. Sometimes our words fail to match with our intentions. Then sometimes we interpret each other's words wrongly. So, I request you to be considerate to people. For example, your language to my reply actually exceeded my impression of your personality. Your words were nice indeed. I have started to like you. Let us all be friends! Friends for ever!

It sure does and soon will the 1% learn that lesson too--to bow down to truth, honesty, care for other's life and so on. Personal profit/loss is not law of Nature--it is manmade law, made by people of greedy nature and not virgin Nature.

Incredible results of yesterday. 1,000 actions in Walmart stores in 46 states. That is HUGE!!! Especially in a down economy. Just amazing. Imagine how the Walton's feel waking up today...all their downplaying wearing off and waking up to the reality that this is their new normal and they who employ 1% of Americans (and have as much wealth as 42% of the nation) are going to be pushed relentlessly, endlessly now to provide a living wage, fair benefits etc. I'm sure they already miss the old days of unchecked power. But those days are over.

Obviously the implications of this go far beyond just Walmart and their workers and also well beyond the issue of unionization. This is about the 99% realizing their collective power and feeling more and more emboldened to speak up.

fight for the legalization of marijuana! in the states that have legalized assemble together and discuss the local issues. REASON TOGETHER for a living wage for all and an end to all tax deductions for the rich and corporations. end the tyranny of the Fed refusing to acknowledge state democracy in legalizing marijuana. end the Federal prohibition of marijuana!

There is nothing wrong with advocating, but unless towns, and companies are open to the idea of making sure people get a Universal Living Wage, advocating won't solve it. They have to believe the same thing you do, and the fact that they do not pay even 50% of a living wage is proof they don't feel that way. It isn't that they don't know what they are doing, they do know, they don't care. How can advocacy change hearts of stone?

You make a very valid point here. This is why Occupy is very much about ideas. We need to change the way people think about society and how they organize themselves with other people. We need to create a love-based society as opposed to the fear-based society we live in now. OWS is really a social movement seeking to change the ethos of the nation. This must be done first, before any real and lasting change will take place.

With 26 million unemployed people, they will just replace the striking workers after they find some reason to get rid of them. In any strike, how long can the workers hold out without getting a paycheck? If they go back to work, then they are punished and will end up fired. People believe that they are owed a job with a living wage, but that is not how America is set up. The companies let you work there, make them a big profit, and pay as little as possible for your services. That is the way it is and has been now for more than 20 years. There is no more job security if you have beent a job for 5 years or more, no more loyalty to employees, it's all about their bottom line. Once you become vested, or you start getting raises, they want to kick you to the curb so that they only pay the base wage at all times.That is what they want and implement. People need to face the facts.

I take note of, "Why do we expect our politicians to tell us the truth?" Common sense got lost in the tide of corporate culture of 'must haves'. Poverty and hunger are the stimulators that turns on the common sense again! Though not a pleasant experience, we needed this jolt of truth.

Who are you kidding? Wall Street is way too big and powerful to take on head to head. It would be a strategic blunder. We have much bigger fish to fry. Wall Street is just a symptom. That's why the 99% never get anywhere. We are too busy chasing canards. Educate yourself or prepare for the worst. Protesting won't change a thing. Do you think these people are going to quit making there billions of dollars just because a bunch of naive fools with signs like to make a lot of noise. If so, I got this Brooklyn bridge for sale, give me a call ASAP - 444-444-4444

Dude! Wake up. Wall Street is nothing compared to our real problems. At best they are a distraction. This is why the 99% are getting smashed. We think too small in conventional terms. If we don't deal with our real problems, the list above is going to do more than kick our B-hines, it's going to end us. Do you get it - THE END!!!!

And if you think something as simple and trite as raising your voice and silly signs are going to make a difference then have at it. The 1% and their goons are just going to punish you like children because that's the way you are acting. It's so easy to control children. And why is that? Because they don't know shit#%$@#@

Calm down. They can't win. And actually, in many ways, Wall Street stopped us from collapsing sooner. In this case fraud and corruption was good because it postponed the inevitable. Wall street won't be around after the collapse because like everything else it's unsustainable. So cheer up!

"six members of the Walton family are worth more than the bottom 42% of American families combined. "

Where are these numbers coming from? Who are the six people and what is their combined worth? What is the combined worth of 42% families and where do those numbers come from? These numbers need to be published.

It's a start I suppose, but there are over 3500 Walmart stores of one type of another in the US. Maybe there were protests that were better received in other locations. The shoppers in the video look indifferent at best toward the protestors.